The Long Way Round
by coolbyrne
Summary: Jane and Maura get stuck in a car an hour outside of Boston, during the worst snowstorm to hit the East coast in ages.


TITLE: The Long Way Round

AUTHOR: coolbyrne

RATING: K+

SUMMARY: Jane and Maura get stuck in a car an hour outside of Boston, during the worst snowstorm to hit the East coast in ages.

A/N: Yet another caught-in-a-snowstorm fic for our ladies. It was a vehicle for me to bring a few ideas together; the tortoise comment, the Desert Island picks, Jane's regret about not going to BCU and a recognition of their feelings for each other. I hope I was able to bring it all in a cohesive manner. I will admit a bit of personal injection with this fic- Maura's Desert Island pick #4 is all me. PM me if you want to talk about why it's his superior album. My thanks to RomanMachine for the beta, and being the only person I'd want to be stuck in a car with on a blizzard. Well, okay, maybe Sasha Alexander is the exception. And David Bowie. And Tilda Swinton. And Daniel Craig. But that's it. (And not at the same time or it'd be awfully crowded.)

...

"Don't even say it."

The Chief Medical Examiner for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts looked straight ahead, her face betraying nothing. "I'm certain I don't know what you mean."

Jane's eyebrow rose at the formality of the reply. Maura was clearly irritated, but Jane was having none of it. "You know exactly what I mean; I can see the little hamster running around in your head, replaying every conversation we had tonight."

"I _was _trying to count how many times you assured me that taking the road less travelled back to Boston was a good idea, but I'm not sure if it's four or five."

"A-ha! That's what I'm talking about!" the brunette replied victoriously.

"However," Maura continued, ignoring the interruption, "since it does our current situation no favours, I will refrain from saying 'it'."

Jane sarcastically rolled her eyes. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," the doctor said, either oblivious or immune to the sarcasm. "And for the record, I reserve the right to say 'it' later, when we're out of this predicament."

"So noted by the court."

The predicament, as Maura so eloquently put it, was taking place an hour outside of Boston, in the middle of what Jane would forever call 'Buttfuck, Nowhere', on the night of the worst snow storm to hit the East coast. They had been at a 3-day, mind-dulling, ass-numbing seminar on "How to Improve and Maximize Your Inter-Department Relationships!" which, for whatever reason, just could not be held in Boston. Instead, it had to be held two hours on the other side of Buttfuck, Nowhere. Three hours in total to the conference, but only if they took the single-lane highway. Maura, of course, adamantly protested, citing several accident statistics as well as mathematical trajectories refuting Jane's claim that it was a shorter route. So, as they were wont to do, they came to an agreement - they would take the interstate on the way to the conference, and the older highway for the return trip.

"This totally does not count for the bet."

Maura wagged her finger. "Oh, no, no, no. The wording of the bet was perfectly clear: whoever chose the quickest route won. This will clearly _not_ be the quickest route. I think you're really going to enjoy the seaweed scrub!"

"Oh, God," Jane groaned as she rested her forehead on the steering wheel. "Why tonight of all nights?"

Maura agreed. "It's predicted to be one of the coldest nights of the year."

"It's Game 6 of the playoffs," Jane complained.

Slowly turning her head to look at the woman on her left, Maura's mouth dropped open. "This is why we took the most treacherous route home?"

Jane had the good grace to look chagrined. "It wasn't treacherous when we left."

Which was true. While Jane wasn't immune to the fluttered eyelashes and pouty lips of one Maura Isles when the doctor wanted something, Jane had her own charm when it suited her. And leaving the conference two hours early in order to get back to Boston for the Bruins suited her. And it _was_ fine when they left. A 6PM escape, with a 3-hour drive would get them back in plenty of time for the 10 o'clock start. That was out the window now. She couldn't even see out the window.

Fortunately, the car had helpfully informed them of the impending stoppage by decreasing its speed and startling them with an array of red blinking lights, so Jane was able to pull over to the side of the road. Unfortunately, that was all the car was willing to share. When Jane stared at the control panel, her attempt to divine the cause of the problem was met with automotive silence.

"This wouldn't have happened if you bought American," Jane admonished.

"Excuse me?" Maura asked incredulously. "The Germans make wonderful cars. I've never once had a problem in all the time I've owned the vehicle."

Jane's eyes narrowed. "Are you saying I'm the reason your car broke down?"

"No," she said slowly, "I'm just saying, I've owned the car for five years and have driven it countless times without a problem. You finally convince me to let you drive it once and..."

"And? I can't control the weather, Maura."

"But you could control the route we took."

"And here we are, back to the beginning."

As the snow blanketed the car, so did the silence. Jane drummed her fingers on her thighs and Maura twisted the ring on her finger. Finally, and simultaneously, both women spoke.

"I shouldn't have-"

"I'm sorry for-"

They both smiled and Maura tried again. "Okay, so what now?"

Shrugging, Jane pulled out her phone. "I'm sure you have wonderful German roadside assistance for this thing?"

"I don't know, I've never needed it," she deadpanned.

"Don't start that again!" Jane retorted with a glower that was betrayed by her smirk. Her smile dropped when she looked at her phone.

"What is it?"

She turned to show Maura the screen. "No service."

Maura tried to look out the windshield and surmised, "A combination of the weather and our location, no doubt."

"It'll break soon enough," Jane said with more confidence than she felt. "In the meantime, we'll keep the car running as long as we can."

"Fifteen minutes," Maura helpfully supplied. Seeing Jane's confusion, she added, "Fifteen minutes is probably as long as we can keep the engine running before succumbing to carbon monoxide poisoning."

"Don't your fancy Germans believe in catalytic converters?"

Maura pulled her head back as if offended. "Of course they do. And the E320 comes equipped. What it doesn't have is a way to stop the snow from blocking the muffler, which in turn reverses the exhaust back into the car."

Jane shrugged. "I'll just keep getting out every 14 minutes to clear the muffler."

"You will do no such thing," Maura admonished. "The temperature outside will negate any benefit of leaving the engine on. Your body temperature won't be able to properly recover if you keep going outside."

"So you're suggesting we just sit here in a cold car?"

The doctor gave this some thought. "Now that the truth is out about why you wanted to leave early and take this route, tell me - did you call Frankie or Frost before we left?"

Guiltily, Jane mumbled, "Frost."

"So someone knows we're on our way. I'm sure he'll be able to extrapolate our intended arrival time, and when we don't show up, he'll worry. How far are we outside of Boston, do you think?"

"An hour, hour and a half, tops," Jane supplied, consoled by Maura's words. "How long do you think he'll wait before he comes looking?"

"I don't know, Jane," she admitted. "We also have to take into account the increase of difficulty in managing this road if the snow continues." She saw Jane's expression drop. "What is it?"

"I didn't tell him we were taking the highway. He'll think we're on the interstate."

Maura looked out the window into the dark night. "Maybe the weather will clear shortly and the phones will work."

"I thought you didn't guess."

"That's not a guess," she corrected, "that's a prognosis." Reaching over, she touched Jane's knee. "In the meantime, we'll make the best of it. I have an emergency kit in the back."

"Of course you do," Jane smiled. She glanced around the dashboard and under the steering wheel. "Where's your trunk latch?"

"On the key fob."

The brunette frowned. "There's no manual latch?"

Maura reached across and pressed the button on the key ring. "There."

Jane chose not to comment on the action. "Give me a minute; I've got to set up some flares so we don't get hit from behind if someone does happen to come down this road."

Maura once again looked into the darkness. They hadn't seen a single vehicle since they started their journey. Only the Mercedes' lights cut through the blackness, to reveal nothing but the falling snow. "It would be the slowest collision in automotive history."

"Yeah, well, safety first," Jane said. "Besides, a slow collision will keep the bodies in better shape on the off-chance we have to resort to cannibalism."

Maura saw the smirk on the detective's face and returned it with one of her own. "I hear it tastes like chicken."

"A joke in the face of disaster! What have you done with Dr. Isles?"

She slapped Jane's arm. "If you're going to go out there, go now. I estimate we can keep the car running for 3 more minutes at the most."

"Okay."

A blast of air entered the car when Jane pushed open the door. "Jesus!" she breathed as she fought against the wind. She gripped the front of her collar and stepped into the night, letting the door slam behind her. Despite the wind, it was eerily quiet, and the fact she could only see about two feet in front of her added to the feeling. Quickly reaching the trunk, she propped it open with a shoulder and found the red emergency bag. Unzipping it with rapidly freezing fingers, Jane dug around until she found the light sticks. She jabbed two of them a foot away from the back wheels and, deciding against braving the wind, gingerly tossed two more towards the front of the car. With one more look in the trunk, Jane grabbed the medical examiner's change of clothes and shoes. Closing it with a slam aided by the wind, she quickly kicked the exhaust pipe and pushed her way back to the driver's door. Only then, as she fumbled with the handle, did she realize that her fingers had gone completely numb.

"Shit!"

The door opened with a helpful push from the other side. "Jane!"

The detective threw the bag and the clothes into the car and fell into the seat, the door barely missing her ass as it slammed shut behind her. "Oh... my... God..." Jane shivered. "I k-k-k-kicked the s-s-snow off the muffler," she chattered. "Can we k-k-k-keep the c-c-car running a bit longer?"

Maura was uncertain, but acquiesced. "We should be okay for another 10 minutes, but I would really prefer not to go any longer." Jane simply nodded as she jabbed her hands under her armpits. "No, no," Maura said. "That's the area you want to keep warm. Here." She took Jane's hands and gently rubbed them back and forth between her hands, squeezing at the fingertips. When that didn't seem to satisfy the medical examiner, she brought them up to her lips and exhaled softly on the cold skin. She lifted her eyes to find Jane staring back intently. "Better?"

Mesmerized by the actions, it took Jane a moment to reply. "Uh, yeah, better."

"Good," Maura answered, though she kept their hands entwined. She saw the red bag on the driver's side floor. "I see you found the bag."

"That things weighs 20 pounds!" Jane protested.

Maura laughed and reluctantly let go of Jane's hands. "Hand it to me."

With an exaggerated heft, Jane lifted it over her legs and dropped it between them. "There'd better be a small hot tub in there."

"We'll soak in the Jacuzzi when we get back to Boston, I promise," she said. "In the meantime, I do have this-" she dramatically revealed a shiny square the size of a cell phone.

"Ooh! A bar of silver!"

Maura's response to the sarcasm was a silent measured look as she unwrapped the square. "It's a shrink-wrapped blanket, Jane. The metallized polyethylene terephthalate reflects up to 97% of body heat."

"A space blanket," Jane simplified.

"Well, yes, I suppose 'space blanket' is an apt description." She unfolded it completely and gauged its size. "We should move to the back seat in order to maximize the blanket's coverage."

Jane couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. "Are we doing it to share body heat or are you trying to tell me you're attracted to me?"

Maura smirked at the memory the line provoked. "I can't wait to hear what you ask me when I recommend we get naked in order to make the most of our body heat." She laughed openly when she saw Jane's mouth drop. "Close your mouth and turn off the car, Jane."

The brunette groaned. "Do we have to?" she asked, knowing the answer. With a sigh, she reluctantly turned the key and the engine went silent. "Now what?"

"Now I'm going to change into the running shoes you brought from the trunk, you're going to put my extra jacket on, and we're going to crawl into the back seat."

Jane's mouth twitched at how quickly her mind went there. Maura caught the look as she laced up the runners. "Notice how I never answered the question either time," she noted innocently. When no response came from the brunette, Maura laughed again. "You should get in the back first. Sit lengthwise and I'll sit against you. We'll get the most use of the blanket that way."

After a combination of moves and limbs that ended up being less comical than one would have thought, both women sat comfortably in the back seat, Jane lengthwise as Maura suggested, with the smaller woman in a kind of 'little spoon' sitting position, her back pressed against Jane's front. With their knees bent up, the blanket was big enough to wrap around Jane's back and over their legs. Maura held the ends closed and Jane's hands had nowhere to go but to settle around the doctor's waist.

"Oh, your hands are cold!" Maura squeaked, but when she felt Jane start to pull her hands away, she held them still. "It's okay. Just give me a moment to get used to it." She shivered at the cold and the touch. "In the meantime, tell me a story."

"What?"

"To pass the time. Tell me a story."

"Hmmm," Jane thought for a moment. "I'm not a very good story teller. How about we play 'Desert Island Picks'?"

Maura frowned. "I'm unfamiliar with this game."

"If you were stuck on a deserted island, what five things would you take with you? Like, what five CDs would you want?"

"Where am I getting the batteries or the electricity to run the player?"

"What?"

"How am I going to listen to the music if I don't have a means to play it?" Maura asked as if it was the most obvious question in the world.

Jane groaned. "Maura. It's a hypothetical. No one's really going to get stuck on a deserted island with nothing but their five favourite CDs. Look, I'll start." She thought for a moment. "Okay. 1. Bruce Springsteen's 'Born to Run'. 2. Boston's self-titled album, because I'm kinda obligated. 3. Depeche Mode's 'Violator', 4. Pearl Jam's' '10'. 5. Something by Yo-Yo Ma, just to remind me of you."

"That's so sweet," she squeezed the hand under hers. "Okay, I think I can come up with five, though I would like it noted for the record that the parameters of this game aren't very clear."

"So noted."

"1. Wagner's 'Tristan und Isolde'. Kristen Flagstad. So wonderful," she said breathlessly. "2. Glenn Gould's 'Goldberg Variations'. Did you know he was only 22 years old? 3. Montserrat Caballe singing Verdi's 'Requiem'. 4. David Bowie's 'Hunky Dory'-"

"Three of these things belong together, three of these things are kinda the same," Jane sung in her ear.

"What?"

Jane chuckled. "It's a song from Sesame Street. So David Bowie, huh?"

"If I'm going to listen to something in English, it should be David Bowie. Besides," she went on, "his music is the aural equivalent of his fashion - so daring and ahead of his time."

"Ground Control to Major Isles."

"That's the previous album."

"And your fifth CD?" Jane prompted.

"Led Zeppelin Untitled, often referred to as 'Led Zeppelin IV'."

"You would not take Led Zeppelin with you."

"I would take it with me, but it would be for you," she admitted.

"It's a deserted island, Maura. I'm not with you."

"Technically, it's not deserted if I'm there," the blonde corrected her. "And since the rules to your game are so arbitrary, you'll just have to suffer on the island with me."

"So bossy, even on a hypothetical deserted island," Jane playfully accused.

"Horripilation," Maura said as she lazily rubbed Jane's wrists under the cuff of the jacket.

"What did you just call me?"

Maura turned her head to smile at the woman behind her. "Horripilation. Goose bumps." She inched her fingers up the detective's forearms. "You're still freezing!"

"I don't know why I can't get warm."

With little thought, Maura took Jane's hands and slid them under the three layers of her clothing until the cool hands touched her warm abdomen. "Oh!" she whispered when they made contact. Whether it was due to the sudden chill against her skin, or the unexpected charge it caused between them, she wasn't sure.

Jane, too, felt a hitch in her throat, but chose to deflect the moment with an attempt at humour. "How can I be so cold and you be so damn warm?" When she heard Maura draw in a breath to speak, she chuckled. "That was a rhetorical question, Maura." The fact was, the woman wasn't just warm, she was soft in her arms and smelled wonderful. Boldly, Jane pressed her nose into the thick gold hair and quietly inhaled.

When she felt the arms around her waist tighten, Maura asked, "Are you doing that to share body heat or are you trying to tell me you're attracted to me?"

"Maybe I'll leave _you_ twisting in the wind for once," Jane threatened with a smirk, enjoying the warm skin against her palms. Something had changed infinitesimally between them, yet it was almost palpable. "Can I ask you a question?" she whispered into Maura's ear, and the doctor nodded. "Why a tortoise?"

"Tor-" she snapped her head around. "You _know_ he's a tortoise!"

Jane laughed. "Of course I know he's a tortoise."

"Then why do you insist on calling him a turtle?"

She shrugged. "Because it gets a reaction out of you that makes me laugh."

"Hmmph," Maura huffed and turned back. "I don't know if I want to answer your question now."

"Please," she mock-begged into her ear.

Maura shifted, settling her head into the crook of Jane's shoulder. "Did you know the African spurred tortoise can live over one hundred years?"

Jane hummed. "I remember you mentioning that."

"Although no one can predict the future, chances are Bass will outlive me." Her voice lowered to a whisper. "Therefore, he'll never leave me."

"Maura," Jane sighed against her cheek. "I won't leave you."

The blonde answered with a short laugh. "You can't promise me that, Jane."

"I can promise I won't just pick up and leave," Jane said firmly. "And I had the chance tonight when I got out of the car."

"What?" Maura laughed, this time with genuine mirth.

"Yeah," Jane said as she pulled the woman even closer. "I could have totally done a Les Stroud and hiked it back to Boston. Don't underestimate my love for the Bruins."

"So, following your logic, you love me more than the Bruins?"

Neither woman spoke, as if worried about shattering the moment. Jane's warm breath tickled against Maura's ear as they sat quietly, absorbed in their thoughts.

She rested her chin on the shorter woman's shoulder. "I think I could love you more than the Red Sox."

There was something so heartfelt and yet so tenderly amusing in the admission that Maura couldn't help but smile. "Wow," she remarked, with an exaggerated breathlessness.

Jane pulled back and growled into soft blonde hair. "Are you mocking me?"

"No!" Maura denied. Feeling the warm, warning itch of hives, she quickly admitted, "Maybe a little."

"There goes my confidence," Jane sighed. Realizing the adolescent nature in confessing her love for Maura versus her love for a sporting team, she added to the image. "And there goes any chance of you getting a note from me in Biology class." Maura tilted her head. "You know- 'Maura, I like you, do you like me? Circle Yes or No'."

"Oh. I never got a note like that in Biology. Or any other class for that matter."

She gave her another squeeze and pressed her lips to the doctor's cheek. "Neither did I. Look what they missed."

"Look what they missed," Maura echoed with a smile. "Can I ask a question?"

"Like no other person I know," Jane quipped. "Ow! No pinching! Are you going to ask me who Les Stroud is?"

"No," she answered, "but I might later if you remind me. I wanted to ask you what your favourite memory is."

"You mean my favourite memory of you?"

"Not necessarily," she shook her head. "Maybe your childhood, or something that happened as an adult. You mentioned school. Or just something in general."

"Hmmm," Jane mused. "When I think of memories, I guess I only think of the bad ones." Maura squeezed her hands. "I'll tell you what - if we don't freeze to death, this is my answer. Right now will be my favourite memory."

Though it was pitch black, Jane could swear she saw Maura's bewilderment. "The probability of freezing to death in our current situation is so miniscule that it's almost zero."

"But it is possible."

"Well, as with many things in life, it's possible. But I said 'probable'."

"Toe-mate-o, toe-mah-to."

She ignored the jibe and continued, "And a current event is hardly the definition of a memory."

"I don't know about that," the detective argued. "Every moment that passes is a memory."

"That's quite a philosophical way of looking at things."

"I didn't get a scholarship to BCU with my biology marks," Jane quipped.

"Philosophy?"

"No," she answered. "Basketball. I wasn't getting into a college with my brain."

Maura frowned in the dark. "Why do you do that? Why do you insist on brushing off your intelligence as if it doesn't mean anything? As gorgeous as you are-" she slapped the brunette's hands when she heard a groan, "stop rolling your eyes. You didn't get where you are because of your looks. And I can't imagine your basketball skills are really that mad."

"What? You mean my mad basketball skills."

"Well, whatever the kids are saying these days. Or Detective Frost." Jane's laugh was deep and long and sent vibrations along Maura's shoulder that made her chuckle. When their amusement subsided, she slyly said, "I thought maybe you were offered a chess scholarship." She could feel the smile against her neck. "I want to play chess with you when we get back."

"I want to get into your Jacuzzi when we get back."

"We'll play chess in the Jacuzzi," Maura bargained.

With an opening like that, she couldn't resist placing a chaste kiss behind the ME's ear. "That may be the sexiest thing anyone's ever said to me."

She fought to keep her tone steady, even as her body reacted to the brunette's words and actions. "Do you regret not going? To BCU, I mean?"

Jane was silent for a long time before she whispered, "Yeah, I think I do." She shrugged. "I mean, it was only a partial scholarship, so there was no way I could really go anyway. Pop did his best to make sure we didn't go without, but three kids didn't make it easy. In the end, it was probably for the best. I don't regret how it turned out."

"I don't regret how it turned out either."

A quietness descended, and both women were content to let it surround them. The car had been completely covered in snow, and the flares outside were tiny pinpoints of lights through the windows. It felt like the world beyond the car had ended; it was a rare moment of peace in their lives.

At last, Maura whispered, "Are you sleeping?"

"Yes," came the muffled reply from the crook of her neck. "Ow! Again with the pinching!"

Oblivious to the complaint, she asked, "Where's your phone?"

"In my pocket."

"Can you reach it?"

Jane groaned. "But I just got warm."

"You can put your hands back once you get the phone," Maura promised, as if consoling a child.

She must have heard the tone, because she said, "Bossy in the most indirect way." But she reluctantly extricated a hand from around Maura's waist and reached into her pocket. "Here," she said and placed it in Maura's hand as she quickly slipped hers back into the warmth of the doctor's clothing. Maura turned on the phone and the screen light lit up the cocoon that surrounded them.

"Still no connection."

"Holy crap, that's bright!" Jane exclaimed and hid her eyes in the soft blonde hair. "What time is it?"

"11:09."

"Wow. Maybe I did fall asleep," she admitted. "But I wouldn't have if you weren't so damn comfortable." As if to emphasis the point, she tightened her embrace.

"Focus," Maura chastized, though her voice was one of amusement at this newfound ease Jane seemed to have discovered. "What time did we break down?"

She lifted her head and replayed the moment. "Mmmm, just after eight."

"What time did you tell Detective Frost you'd be there for the game? And where exactly is 'there'?"

"9:30." She pressed her lips against Maura's temple and sheepishly confessed, "Your place."

"My place?" the blonde repeated incredulously.

"You've got the 54" flat screen!"

Maura sighed. "Anyway... the good news is, he could be here at any moment."

"Or he might get caught up in the game and not realize we're not there." Maura had no answer for this and Jane sighed. "I'm sorry I got you into this mess."

"Well, I suppose as long as we don't freeze to death, this is a pretty good mess to be in with you. I just never thought I'd get you into the back seat of my car and we'd be fully dressed the entire time."

Jane's head jerked up. "I knew it! You _are_ attracted to me!"

With a laugh, Maura replied, "I would have thought that was evident ages ago."

"Ages ago, huh?" Jane repeated. "Like how many ages ago?"

The phone now off, Maura was glad the brunette couldn't see the flush that quickly crept up her face. "Since the first time you asked me that question."

"Maura, that was almost four years ago."

"I know," she admitted, "but we were in different places in our lives, and I valued your friendship over than the thought of pursuing more."

"Wait a minute," Jane said. "You told me the probability of us freezing to death was miniscule."

"There's always a possibility."

"You're lucky I can hear the humour in your voice."

"Shush."

Jane's eyes widened in the dark. "Did you just 'shush' me?"

"Yes, shush."

"Don't-"

Maura craned her neck in an attempt to look out the back window. "No, I mean 'shush, I think I hear something'."

Jane mirrored Maura's body language. "Are you sure?"

"I won't be if you keep talking. Ow! No pinching!"

"I wish we could see out of these windows," the brunette commented as she strained to find an open spot. "Oh! I think I see something!"

"Where?" Maura scrambled to sit up properly.

"What are you doing?"

"Going to flag them down, of course," she replied as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Give me the blanket."

"No!" Jane protested. "I'm going with you."

"Jane..."

Ignoring the objection, she reached around the doctor and opened the door. "Out, out, quick!"

"Holy mother of-!" Maura shrieked when the bitter wind hit her face.

Jane grabbed the last two light sticks from the emergency bag and cracked them into life. She stood behind Maura and the two women each held a corner of the blanket with one hand while waving the sticks in the other. Sure enough, not fifty yards away was the welcoming glare of two headlights coming in their direction.

"I should've grabbed my gun," Jane spoke into Maura's ear.

"Why?" she called back.

"Who knows who's crazy enough to travel this road in this weather?"

Maura turned her head. "We were."

Their fear - or at least whatever fear Jane had - was for naught, when the truck slowly pulled to a stop and a window rolled down to reveal a beaming smile. "You ladies lookin' for a good time?"

"I could kiss you, Frost," Jane beamed when she saw him.

"I as well, Detective," Maura said.

"I don't know about Jane, but I might take you up on _your_ offer, Dr. Isles," the gregarious detective laughed. He opened the door and sat forward, pulling the seat to make room. "Get in, for God's sake," he told the grateful women, who didn't have to be told twice. Jane nudged Maura ahead and climbed in after her. Though the heat was on full blast, she wrapped the blanket around them.

"Tommy!" Jane said when she saw the driver. "How the hell did you two find us?"

"Barry said there was no way you'd miss the game, so when you two didn't show by the end of the first period, we knew somethin' was wrong," her younger brother explained.

"But how did you know we took this way?" Jane asked.

Frost chuckled as he finished the note he was writing. "Game 6, even if it's only the first round? I knew you'd somehow talk the doc into taking the short route."

Jane turned to Maura. "I told you it was the shorter route."

"You still lost the bet," she said.

"Heh," Frost laughed, "I don't even wanna know."

"I do!" Tommy interjected.

"Okay ladies," Jane cut in, "can we go now?"

"Let me just leave this note on the dashboard," Frost said. "If you're lucky Dr. Isles, your car won't be picked over by the time you can get a tow truck out here. Anything in it you need?"

"My gun and badge are in the glove box," Jane told him.

"My Jimmy Choos are on the passenger floor."

Jane groaned. "Maura."

"What? I like those shoes, Jane."

Frost laughed again. "Okay, okay. Give me a second." He pushed the door open and exclaimed, "Shit, it's cold!"

"Better you than me, brother!" Tommy called after him.

Jane slapped him on the shoulder. "At least tell me the Bruins were winning when you left."

"Nah," Tommy answered, "it was 4-nothin' at the end of the first. It's why we figured we'd come out lookin' for ya."

"Dammit."

Tommy shrugged. "It's okay. The way I see it, they forced a Game 7 just so you'd have a chance to see it."

Frost jumped back into the truck and dropped everything onto the floor. "I'll give all that stuff to you guys once I regain the feeling in my hands!"

"Thank you both for coming to find us," Maura said with heartfelt sincerity.

Jane nodded. "Yeah, thanks guys."

"Did Tommy tell you the score?" Frost asked.

"Yeah. Looks like Game 7, huh?"

"Only if it's from my Jacuzzi," Maura declared.

"I'm in!" Tommy and Frost announced simultaneously.

Jane glowered into the rear view mirror. "You're both _out_! Besides, I might not want to watch Game 7."

Tommy looked at her as if she had grown another head. "Not watch the game? What else you gonna do?"

The detective snuck a sidelong glance at the woman on her left. "I've got a date to play chess in the Jacuzzi."

Frost's eyebrows rose. "Is that what the kids are calling it these days?"

"Yeah," Jane informed him as she reached for Maura's hand. "Add that to your urban dictionary. Now let's get the hell out of here."

...


End file.
